Switch



Dec. 8, 1931. A. CROFT 1,835,696

SWITCH Filed Aug. 20, 1929 INVENTOR 1 7/1072 Crofif 'ATTORNEY Patented Dece 8; 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALVIN 03011., Or mwm. PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO WESTNGEOUSE 3W0 Q MANUFACTURING COMIANY, A. CORPORATION OI PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH Application flied August 20, 1989. Serial No. 387,888.

My invention relates to switches and particularly to disconnecting switches having contact members that make high-pressure engagement.

One object of my invention is to provide a switch of the type above mentioned with blade and jaw members that shall be connected to supporting members in such manner as to form a stron and rigid structure.

It is a further 0 ject of my invention to provide a switch of the above-mentioned type with a contact member having contact fingers so mounted in the plane of movement of the cooperating contact member as to ensure a prying action between said members when they are moved into or out of engagement with each-other.

Heretofore, switches having'high-pressure engaging contact members, employed various elements that were pivotally mounted for arcuate movement or were-so mounted as to be axially rotated to effect high-pressure engagement of the contact members. Such construction considerably increased the cost of the switch and embodied wearing surfaces that caused the switch to eventually lose its adjustment and, therefore, its high-pressure engagement.

. In practicing my invention, I avoid the use of pivotal or moving parts in my contact members and in the supporting arms thereof in order to avoid the aforementioned wearing surfaces. My construction, however, ensures rubbing engagement between the contact members themselves and, therefore, clean surfaces for the cooperating portions of the contacts. I

By having the arms that support the contact members of difierent lengths, I obtain a mechanical advantage at the beginning of the opening movement and toward the end of the closing movement of the switch-operating cycle to pry the contacts out of, and into, contact engagement. Immediately after the longer arm will move faster than the contact member on the shorter arm to quickly increase the distanceIthercbetween.

It is, therefore, a further object of my invention to provide a switch of the aboveseparating, the contact member mounted on mentioned type with a pair of conducting arms of different lengths for supporting the contact members that shall utilize the mechanical advantage provided by the shorter arm for prying the contacts apart and thereafter to employ the longer arm for quickly increasing the distance between contacts after they have been separated.

With these principles and objects in mind, my invention will best be understood by referring to the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view, in elevation, of the switch shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the contact members shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view, in section, taken along the line IVIV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of the contact members as shown in Fig. 2; and I Fig. 6 is a view, in section, taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

My invention comprises, in general, a base 1 upon which an operating mechanism 2 is supported and pivoted to actuate insulators 3 and 4 that are also pivotally supported on the base 1. Conducting arms 5, and 6 are respectively mounted on the insulators 3 and 4 and are respectively provided with contact members 7 and 8 on their adjacent ends.

The insulators 3 and 4 are provided with bearings 9 and 11 near their lower ends and with conducting caps 12 and 13 on their upper ends. The arms 5 and 6 are rigidly-"supported by the respective conducting caps 12 and 13 and are connected in an electrical circuit by means of flexible conductors 14 and 15.

Arms 16 and 17- are of difierent lengths and are provided on the lower ends of the respective insulators 3 and 4 below the base 1 and arerespectively connected by links 18 and 19, to a cross arm 21 that is mounted on a rotatively movable shaft 22. An arm 23 is provided on the shaft 22 and is actuated by a link 24 to turn the shaft. Rotative movement I ofthe shaft 22 causes the cross arm 21 to offectmovement ofthe arms 16 and 17 opposite directions. Opposite movement of the arms 16 and 17 turns the insulators 3 and 4 in opposite directions. When the insulators are so turned, the contact jaws 7 and the contact member 8 are moved into and out of engagement with each other. The angular movement of the arms 5 and 6 is made equal throu h the difierence in length of the arms 16 an 17 4 The contact member 7 comprises a plurality of projecting fingers that are clearly illustrated in'Figs. 3 and 5. Four jaw fingers 25, 26, 27 and 28 are employed to engage the projections 29, 31, 32 and 33 on the contact member 8. The jaw fingers 25, 26, 27 and 28 are rigidly supported in a casting 34 and are made from resilient conducting material so that the projections 29, 31, 32 and 33 may pass into engagement with them with a rubbing or wiping action.

The finger 26 is of greater length than the fin other fingers and is employed to first make contact with the contact member 8 when the switch arms 5 and 6 are moved to closed-circuit position and to be the last portion to break contact therewith to constitute a terminal for the are caused by the separation when the circuit is interrupted. The free ends of the remainder of the jaw fingers are cut angularly to permit the passage of the pro ections thereacross when they are moved into circuit-closing position.

'le, in the drawings, the arms 5 and 6 are shown of different lengths, it is-to be understood that arms of equal lengths may be employed. When the arm 5 is considerably longer than the arm 6, a mechanical advantage accrues in forcing the contact member 8 into pngagement with contact fingers of member The mechanical advantage just mentioned is also of value when the switch is to be opened because it assists in breaking the corrosive or ice seal that forms between the member 8 and the fingers of member 7 and to thereafter pry the former from the latter. After the members 7 and 8 are separated, the longer arm 5 rapidly moves the member 7 away from the member 8 to quickly elongate the arc and thus efi'ect its early extinguishment.

While I. have shown and described fingers b of the member '7 as four in number, it is to be understood that twosuch fingers placed in the plane of movement of the contact member 8 will ensure satisfactory operation. In such construction, the member 8 strikes against the finger 26 to guide it into contact with the finger 28. Thereafter, the member 8 is forced between the two fingers 26 and 28.

By employing high-pressure engaging contact members, a contact area is provided therebetween that is able to carry a considerable current without becoming heated. From the drawings, it will be noted that the jaw fingers are located a substantial distance apart to allow the air to pass freely therebetween and thus to further decrease the heating potentialities at the separable portions of the switch.

It will thus be seen that I have provided two units of a switch of high-pressure engaging type each of which has all of its parts in rigid engagement with each other and with its insulating supporting member.

My invention is further novel in that a mechanical advantage is obtained, and an increase in speed of separation of the contact members provided, by employing arms for supporting the contact members that are of difi'erent lengths.

In addition to the heat-reducing qualities of the high-pressure engagement of the contact members, an additional heat-preventing means is provided by so spacing the jaw gers such distance from each other that the air may freely pass therebetween.

My invention is not limited-to the specific structure illustrated, as it may be variously modified without departing from its spirit and scope, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with two insulators, operating mechanism for rotatively -moving said insulators in opposite directions, a pair of rigid contact members supported in fixed positions on said insulators for arcuate movement in a plane to efiect high-pressure contact engagement, said contact members having guide means causing both horizontal and vertical alignment of said members.

2. In a switch structure, with a pair of rotatable insulators, of a switch arm rigidly supported by each of said insulators, a contact member on one arm and a jaw member on the other arm rigidly attached to their respective arms, said jaw member having fingers for guiding said contact member both horizontally and vertically into engagement when the insulators are rotatively moved.

3. In a switchstructure, the combination with a pair of rotatably movable insulators, of a switch arm rigidly supported by each of said insulators, a contact member on one arm and at least three jaws on the other arm, 0th rigidly attached to their ive arms, one aw portion extending into the path of said contact member for guiding it into engagement with said jaws.

4. In combination, operatin mechanism, two insulators rotatively mova le thereby, a switch member mounted on one of said insulators, switch said insulators, mounted in the plane of movement of said switch member, and in a plane at an angle to said plane of movement.

5. In combination, operat' two insulators rotatively mov jaws mounted on the other of mechanism, 1e thereby, a

the fingers of said jaws being the combination with switch member mounted on one of said insulators and switch jaws mounted on the other of said insulators, the fingers of said jaws being mounted in more than one plane, one of said jaw fingers being shorter than another to permit the said switch L amber to pass thereacross before coming int 1 engagement with the longer finger.

6. In an electrical connector, a jaw member and a contact member, said jaw member having contact fingers which horizontally and vertically guide said contact member into engagement with said jaw member.

7. In an electrical connector, a jaw member and a contact member, said jaw member having a rigid base and a plurality of resilient contact fingers extending therefrom which horizontally and vertically guide said contact inember into engagement with said jaw mem- 8. In an electrical connector, a jaw member having at least three contact fingers having contact surfaces on the inner sides thereof, a contact member having contact surfaces on the outer sides thereof, and means for positioning said contact member between said contact fingers in electrical connection there- 9. In an electrical connector, a jaw member and a contact member, said jaw member having a rigid base and at least three resilient contactfingers having contact surfaces thereon and which horizontally and vertically guide said contact member into engagement with said jaw member, and means for moving said contact member into engagement with said contact surfaces with a twisting motion.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of August,

ALVIN CROFT. 

